Introducing Your New Superintendent of Schools.....Barack Obama!

Is there any pie that he won't shove his fingers into?

Last week Barack Obama comtinued his ADHD administration by creating for himself a new uproar. He suggested that American students lag behind foreign students in key subjects. Of course Obama cites studies indicating that our schools also require children to attend less than those of other countries.

First of all, I'm tired of hearing about studies that compare the schools of other countries to America. Almost every other country separates children at the age of twelve into different tracks, college bound and vocational bound. Those studies compare all American children to teh select college bound children of other places. When studies compare children as a whole, the United States ranks near the top in everything. The difference between the two systems is that American schools operate on the assumption that all children need encouragement to do the best they can. You never know who will become the next great doctor or playwright.

Why do we continue to cite studies that make us look bad? This is powerful empirical evidence that our schools are not doing the job. Everyone involved claims it means that they need more money. Problem is that America financially supports its schools at a higher rate than any other country on earth.

Obama claims we need to send our children to school for more time. As a parent of two, I believe my children spend too much time there already. I worked in the school system and homeschooled them a couple of years as well and understand that there is a lot of down time. A good homseschooling program can do in a few hours what a school does in seven. The school experience by itself wipes out children physcially and mentally as it is. Their only chance to be kids for any extended period is the shrinking summer break that Obama wants to take away. Character building extracurricular activities will see less participation because it takes a superman to endure a full time job and then football practice.

The problem in our schools is size and structure. Schools are way too big. Everyone knows that as class and school populations rise, educational levels decline. We also need competition that will force administrators and teachers to perform better.

The final problem is the federal government. School control needs to be local. Mandates and curriculum made in the federal and state capitals do not coordinate well with diverse local populations. We need to get back to a time when parents and teachers had more impact on learning than bureaucrats and elected lawyers.

Finally we need to remember that kids need time to be kids. School takes away too much time from that right now. They need time to develop as individuals and find out who they are, not be led here and there down the halls of buildings designed by prison architects. We want children that are educated, not burned out. We certainly do not need another "fix" from the same incompetents that appoint a guy that thinks child molestation is wonderful as the "safe schools czar."

Honestly, isn't everyone just about sick of this guy telling us how he can make our lives better when he has not accomplished one thing in his entire life outside of campaigning?